c 1690 for noun, possibly shortened from toad-eater "fawning flatterer," originally referring to the assistant of a charlatan, who ate a toad (believed to be poisonous) to enable his master to display his skill in expelling the poison. The verb is recorded from 1827.
3 comments:
grandmother, what big eyes you have!
the better to see you with, my child...
;)
v. dark.
aye,
fine words...
discharge - educational resource for your pre-school child...
warp 'em while they're young :)
If I had had a teacher like that, with such a wit for words and such a withering stare, I might have turned out different.
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